Environmental Justice Fellowship with Nuestra Casa, Summer 2026
Overview
Our Mission: We exist to uplift Latino families in East Palo Alto and the mid-peninsula through community education, leadership development, and advocacy.
Our Vision: Nuestra Casa envisions a vibrant East Palo Alto community united around shared values, a multicultural community working together to ensure that all its residents are integrated and have access to the American Dream. Our families pave the road for other generations to follow through their participation in civic engagement activities and collaborative community actions.
Who We Are: Nuestra Casa has been serving the needs of the immigrant Latino population of East Palo Alto and surrounding communities since 2002. Our organization rose out of a community assessment conducted by a group of local activists who were concerned about the growing needs of the rising immigrant population. Today, Nuestra Casa is positioned as the premier Latinx serving nonprofit in our community. Over the past five years, our growth has allowed us to expand our services and programming into neighboring communities like Menlo Park (Belle Haven region) and Redwood City. Through our advocacy efforts, we also reach other communities in San Mateo County.
At Nuestra Casa, we welcome our community to a place that feels like home. We stand by their side to help them navigate institutions, build people’s power, and use their voice to shape a new, more equitable community. Our programs transform our leaders into advocates actively engaged in our local economy, school district, and civic life. Together, we will build a community that leaves no one behind.
About the Fellowship
Nuestra Casa seeks a creative, motivated, and passionate student to join our Environmental Justice Department. This fellowship offers the opportunity to address real-world environmental justice issues by centering community voices in impactful work.
Environmental Justice:
Our Environmental Justice Department organizes and empowers community residents to take ownership of their advocacy abilities. Our goal is to ensure frontline communities’ inclusion in discussions and policies related to climate change. Nuestra Casa is well known for adapting our workshops to local cultural identities, including Pacific Islander, African American, and Latino/x/e.
Responsibilities and tasks include, but are not limited to:
Community Research Support:
- Assist with VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) work: communicate with sampling sites and help support the second round of testing that is scheduled in the Fall.
- Water Filter Surveys: Follow up with survey participants via phone or text.
Youth Engagement:
- Support the Estuary Youth Council in partnership with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership by helping organize meetings and outings with educational and outdoor components.
Community Outreach:
- Develop educational materials and plan outreach events focused on environmental justice and current projects during the fellowship.
- Create social media content that translates complex research into accessible formats, including Spanish translations when possible.
Policy and Advocacy Support:
- Research and support ongoing legislative efforts related to Nuestra Casa's core focus areas: Drinking Water, Sea Level Rise, Groundwater Rise, and Contamination. Specific projects will vary depending on current priorities during the fellowship.
- Support may include reviewing bills and creating summaries for staff review, and developing factual, informative materials that community members can easily understand.
- Assist with EJ Academy recruitment for our pilot Líderes Rising Training on Advocacy with our partners at Green Foothills.
- Support EJ Academy evaluation by reviewing surveys, analyzing data, and helping create reports to ensure continuous program improvement.
Collaboration and Meetings:
- Attend environmental justice meetings and collaborate with community members and partner organizations.
Research and Administrative Tasks:
- Investigate community concerns and synthesize findings into accessible formats for advocacy.
- Support program tracking and data entry using Salesforce and assist with team administrative needs as required.
Learning Opportunities:
- Gain hands-on experience developing community-focused curricula and translating complex research into actionable materials for diverse audiences.
- Deepen understanding of environmental justice issues in frontline communities of San Mateo County.
- Learn about policy development, key stakeholders, and decision-making agencies in the region.
- Build connections with environmental justice organizations and gain practical advocacy skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Open to all academic levels (undergraduate, Master’s, or PhD).
- Knowledge of Spanish is preferred but not required.
- An academic background in environmental studies, science, political science, or related fields is helpful but not mandatory.
- Demonstrated passion for social and environmental justice.
- Awareness of immigrant and low-income community issues.
- Strong organizational, communication, and teamwork skills.
Apply Today to Make an Impact!
Join Nuestra Casa’s mission to empower frontline communities and contribute to meaningful change in environmental justice.
Program Details
PCJ in the Bay fellowships are Cardinal Quarter opportunities through the Haas Center for Public Service. This is a full-time (35-40 hours/week), 10-week opportunity during Summer 2026, starting no later than July 6, 2026. Doctoral students with a 50% summer assistantship may be eligible to work part-time (16 hours/week). All fellows are required to work with their community partners for ten consecutive weeks.
Please note that students can apply for no more than three different PCJ fellowship opportunities during a single application round.
Eligibility & Requirements
Please review our program policies for complete eligibility requirements.
Undergraduates of all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to students who have completed fewer than two previous Cardinal Quarter opportunities.
In order to be eligible for a Haas Center-sponsored Cardinal Quarter summer opportunity, undergraduate students are required to be enrolled in both the winter and spring quarters. Graduate level students must be enrolled at least in spring quarter.
Students are required to be in good academic standing. The requirements for good academic standing include: 1) Earn at least 9 units of credit in a single quarter. 2) Earn at least 36 units over the most recent three quarters 3) Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above.
Additional Fellowship Requirements
This opportunity is associated with Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area (PCJ in the Bay), an initiative to build equitable climate change solutions by supporting partnerships between Stanford students, faculty and Bay Area community leaders. Fellows will be a part of a cohort of other PCJ in the Bay summer fellows placed at sites across the Bay Area.
Additional requirements include
Spring 2026:
- Complete a pre-program assessment survey.
- Attend the spring retreat with cohort peers (date TBD).
- Complete an online program orientation.
- Participate in an in-person Principles of Ethical and Effective Service workshop at the Haas Center.
- Identify and meet with an academic mentor (Stanford faculty or staff) at least once.
- Design a personal learning plan and share the learning plan with your site supervisor and academic mentor.
- Complete all required pre-orientation forms.
Summer 2026:
- Attend all PCJ in the Bay Fellows cohort activities (more information will be shared about these events in spring quarter).
- Submit a final report documenting your work and a reflection on your learning.
- Correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
- Complete a post-program assessment survey.
Fall 2026:
- Meet with your academic mentor to discuss your fellowship experience at least once.
- Participate in outreach activities to share the experience and help publicize the program.
Stipend Information
Undergraduate Cardinal Quarter Fellows receive a base stipend of $8,000 (which includes a $500 cost of living adjustment for the Bay Area) to support living expenses during the 10-week fellowship. Financial aid and supplemental funding ($1,000-$1,500 additional) may be available to students who qualify (learn more here).
Students in a 2-year Masters program will receive a stipend of $9,500. Students who have begun their coterm programs (i.e., paying graduate tuition) will also receive a stipend of $9,500. Doctoral students on a 50% assistantship can work up to 16 hours/week and will receive up to $4,500 for a part-time fellowship. Doctoral students without a summer assistantship can work full-time and will receive a stipend of $11,000.
Selection Process
Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by the host organizations staff with the intention to award fellowships prior to spring break. Applicants should respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.
Frequently Asked Questions for PCJ Summer 2026 Fellowships
